T/C Contender .22 Hornet Range Day

[7br]

Took the hornet out today. The range was packed when I got ther. The Cessna Rifle and Pistol club was hosting the Motorcycle club. Lots of food, hot coffee and etc. We also have been in the low 40's with a pretty brutal wind.

Loads tested: 4grains of WW231, R-P 7 1/2 primers, WW Brass. Bullets were the RCBS 55 and a single cavity 225415. The 225415 is dropping bullets at 51 grains from 9 parts wheel weights to 1 part 50-50 bar solder. As cast diameter is .228. I am sizing them with a .224 sizer. Shooting was done off of sandbags at 100 yards.

First group with the 225415 threw 4 in 2.5 inches and the last 5 inches to the left. I scattered the RCBS and the other group of 225415 in 8 inch patterns. Not sure if it was the cold or if I was shooting like crud.

[Dale53]

7BR.
I have a TC in .221 Fireball. I use 4.0 grs of Unique behind a 225415 using straight linotype and size .225". You might want to try sizing your bullets at .225" also. Mine shoots in one-half inch at fifty yards using a 2 powered pistol scope. My buddy has a Hornet TC pistol that uses 3.0 grs of Unique behind the same bullet for like results at fifty yards (his is also sized at .225").

Dale53

[Bullshop]

If I were you and planed on staying with that hornet I would invest in a few more tools.
First I would find out how fat a boolit would seat and aim for that diameter.
Try one a them 228's in a fired case and see if it will go in.
Once ya figure out what diameter ya want have a die made, better yet have two made. One for lubing then a nose first push through for sizing. I got a feeling your .224" die is too small, and going from .228 to . 224" in one step in a base first is distorting your boolits. See if you can beg a couple samples from members here of some diameters larger than .224 so you can figure which one will most closley fit a fired case neck.
So what I would look for is first a .228" lube die for lubing, then after you figure what diameter a lee type push through die for sizing. That should get ya on track.
bic/bs

[Powderpacker]

Dan -
You're saying to load the 225415 and/or the RCBS as large as possible maybe even unsized at .228" . Are you saying to shoot these without gas checks ? Or just back them into a .255" die far enough to crimp the check ? Doesn't seem like a check would be very effective if it's .003" smaller than the boolit dia . I'm trying to dial in a K-Hornet with these two bullets and the Bator - nothing to take pictures of yet . Thanks for your advice .
Ted

[floodgate]

Has anyone here had any experience with the (relatively) new Savage Model 40 single-shot bolt action rifle in .22 Hornet, with laminated stock, Accu-Trigger and sleeved action?

I've gotten a fine set of Redfield Olympic front /rear sights, and am itching for something to put under them. Of course, someone could relieve me of the obligation by making an offer on the sights; they are in near-perfect condition, lacking only the mounting screws and screw-in disk for the rear, and the dovetail block for the front.

[Slowpoke]

I have a TC carbine and it does nice with .225 diameter 415's with 8.5 gr surplus 680 and a WSP.

COL is very critical with this barrel and boolit it prefers 1.745 ,..010 either direction and I end up with pattern's.

good luck

[C A Plater]

Small pistol primers have shrunk group for me in the .22 hornet.

[7br]

I got a feeling your .224" die is too small, and going from .228 to . 224" in one step in a base first is distorting your boolits. .
bic/bs

Makes quite a bit of sense. I have noticed that the lube groove is disappearing. The RCBS seems to be dropping at .223 . Need to measure a few more samples. Beagling might be called for.

[Bullshop]

powderpacker
No what I ment was to just use the .228 as a measuring tool to see what a fired case neck will accept. Also that I would lube and seat the check in a .228". Then if they need sizing would size them nose first eather in a lee type push through or alter an rcbs/lyman to nose first push through.
The rcbs/lyman can be alterd in about two minutes to push through for sizing then alterd back for conventional lubing in the same amount of time.
I think I have an extra new .228" rcbs die for trade if neaded.
bic/bs

[7br]

Hey Bullshop, Do you need a .358, .284, or a 244 sizer? Would consider an outright purchase for the .228?

[7br]

Middle son was sick today, so I stayed home with him. Started casting the with RCBS. After waterdropping about 50, I stopped to measure. Son of a gun if they weren't measuring .223. Well, says I, We can cure this. My plan was to drill a hole in the base of one of the just cast bullets, coat with with lapping compound and open the cavities a bit. I placed a bullet in the still hot mould and tried to center the bit. After a few aborted tries, I pulled the bullet out and darned near burned my fingers. In a moment of inspiration, I measured it and it came out to .225. Dunked it and it went to .224. I expect it to be at .223 now.

Does linotype expand more or less than ww mixed with 50-50 bar solder? Guess I will find out in a couple of minutes as I have a pot of it going now.

[7br]

A little more on the casting part of the equation. I purchased some aluminum tape last night and beagled the RCBS. It is now throwing bullets right at .225 perpendicular to the mould halves and .2245 with the mould halves. I slugged the barrel awhile back and came up with .224. I think I might have to make sure I have some loaded up. Our silhouette shoot is in two weeks and I usually have a little time afterwards.

[Lucky Joe]

7br,

This is good, keep us posted.

[BerdanIII]

Ditto the use of small pistol primers in the Hornet: I use Remington 1 1/2's.


Floodgate: An acquaintance had one of these and it gave him nothing but trouble. Failures to eject and then failures to extract that became normal for the rifle. Accuracy was OK, but he got fed up with the mechanical problems and got rid of it.

[45r]

Could you explain how to alter the rcbs for push through sizing,I've been turning my bullets upside down and using a flat punch with the lube pressure backed off.Works Ok but would be interested in a better way of doing it.Got some of your Bull Plate and it works great.I dab a Q-tip in the cap and rub along the outer top edge of my molds and never get any lead smears.Really helps keeping my aluminum molds from getting scratched up.I ran two aluminum MTN Molds .454 OGF and .357 Secant as fast as I could pour them and no problems and very few rejects.Great product.Thanx

[Bullshop]

45r
Sure! Simple! ya just drop the depth adjuster under the die cavity. Just unthread the assembly down and out. Then lift out the ejector pin and also pull the ejector pin out of the die. There ya go a straight through hole the size of whatever die you have in. Use a long enough punch that it pushes the boolit past the sizing part of the die. You dont want the next boolit to have any resistance accept the die itself. Ya have to get in the habit of catching them at the bottom. Seams weard at first but ya pick it up quick. Best part is it will eliminate uneven sizing. I do this anytime I see any uneven sizing going on and dont have a lee type in that diameter. I just presize all nose first then reassemble the press and lube with the same die. It makes a world of difference that you can easily see on the boolit and the target.
BIC/BS